WE
WE HAVE
WE HAVE LOTS OF FACT CHECKERS AROUND HERE.
AROUND HERE. >>> ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL
WOMEN IN THE REGION LEADS THE
PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT AND SHE
HAS A LOT ON HER PLATE THAT
>> DENISE JUNO JUST WRAPPED UP
HER COMMUNITY LISTENING AND
LEARNING TOUR TO PLAN HER
OBJECTIVES.
OBJECTIVES. GLAD YOU ARE WITH US.
>> IT IS COLD OUTSIDE.
[ LAUGHTER ]
>> GREAT TO SEE YOU.
>> THAT WAS SO FUN.
AND GET TO KNOW THE OTHER WOMEN
LEADERS.
LEADERS.
LEADERS. >> YOU SAT IN ON DOZENS OF
MEETINGS WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS
AND LISTENING TO WHAT PEOPLE
WANTED TO SEE IN THE SCHOOL
DISTRICT THAT WHAT DID YOU
LEARN?
LEARN?
LEARN? CHECK I HAD 21 STOPS ACROSS THE
COMMUNITY.
COMMUNITY. THEY WERE INTENTIONAL ABOUT A
GOAL OF HOLDING RELATIONSHIPS.
INCLUDING VOICES THAT HAD BEEN
HISTORICALLY NOT HEARD IN THE
DISTRICT.
DISTRICT.
DISTRICT. IT WAS REALLY GOOD FOR ME TO
MOVE AROUND THE CITY AND HEAR
FROM FAMILIES AND STUDENTS AND
COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
COMMUNITY MEMBERS. ABOUT THE STRENGTHS OF THE
DISTRICT AND WHAT AREAS WE NEED
TO WORK ON.
AND I HEARD A LOT ABOUT THE
CONVERSATIONS ON RACE EQUITY.
PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO ENGAGE
THE CONVERSATION.
THE CONVERSATION. AND STEPPING INTO THIS SEAT AS
SUPERINTENDENT OF SEATTLE
PUBLIC SCHOOLS, WE ARE A HIGH-
PERFORMING DISTRICT.
PERFORMING DISTRICT. PEOPLE LOOK TO US ACROSS THE
COUNTRY FOR THE KINDS OF
ACADEMIC SUCCESS THAT WE HAVE.
THE RACIAL EQUITY WORK THAT WE
DO AND WE ALSO HAVE A LOT OF
CHALLENGES.
CHALLENGES. SO THE OPPORTUNITY GAPS ARE
STILL REALLY LARGE.
WE WILL NEED TO FOCUS ON THOSE.
THOSE ARE SOME THE ISSUES THAT
I HEARD AROUND DUAL LANGUAGE,
HERITAGE LANGUAGE AND MAKE SURE
WE PROVIDE GREAT SERVICES FOR
SPECIAL EDUCATION.
SPECIAL EDUCATION. AND THE SERVICES AND ONE BIG
THEME WAS ABOUT CONSISTENCY AND
PREDICTABILITY OF SERVICES IN
THE DISTRICT LIKE
TRANSPORTATION, ENROLLMENT AND
THINGS THAT MAKE A DISTRICT
GREAT DEPTH
GREAT DEPTH >> YOU HEARD A LOT I AM SURE
ABOUT THINGS THAT WILL BE
DIFFERENT.
DIFFERENT. THINGS THAT WILL BE DIFFERENT
NEXT YEAR.
NEXT YEAR. >> AS WE MOVE TO THE STRATEGIC
PLAN, WE HAVE A COMMITTEE THAT
IS MADE UP OF PART STAFF AND
PART COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
THEY ARE TAKING ALL THE
INFORMATION FROM THE LISTEN AND
LEARNING TO WORK AND COMBINING
THAT WITH OTHER INFORMATION AND
TAKING A GOOD LOOK AT IT TO SEE
WHERE WE NEED TO GO.
WE WILL DO A SECOND SORT OF
TOUR AROUND THE CITY IN JANUARY
FOR THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND
VETTING THAT.
VETTING THAT. SEEING IF THE DISTRICT SHOULD
BE MOVING THAT DIRECTION SO
THAT IS THE NEXT BIG STEP.
TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE MOVING
THE BALL DOWN THE FIELD.
>> AND YOU'RE LOOKING TO VOTERS
FOR TWO PRETTY BIG LEVIES TO
TRY TO SELL BEFORE FEBRUARY.
ONE IS THE OPERATIONS LEVY
WHICH FILLS THE GAP FOR BASIC
PROGRAMS AND THE OTHER IS
EXCELLENCE CAPITAL LEVY WHICH
IS CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING
IMPROVEMENTS.
IMPROVEMENTS. YOU WILL BE MAKING A PITCH TO
VOTERS. THEY ARE TAXED PRETTY
HEAVILY IN SEATTLE.
HOW DO YOU MAKE THE PITS FOR
THEM TO VOTE YES?
>> THESE ARE RENEWAL LOVEYS.
THEY ARE NOT NEW.
THEY WILL BE COMING UP IN
FEBRUARY.
FEBRUARY.
FEBRUARY. THE OTHER LEVY IS ABOUT
REBUILDING SOME SCHOOLS AND
ADDING CLASSROOMS, ADDING ON
SAFETY FEATURES TO SCHOOLS.
FIRE SAFETY AND SECURITY AT
FRONT DOORS.
FRONT DOORS. SO THAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO
MAKE SURE THAT STUDENTS HAVE A
GREAT LEARNING ENVIRONMENT.
THEN THE OPERATIONS LEVY, THERE
ARE GAPS IN FUNDING THAT COME
FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND
STATE GOVERNMENT.
STATE GOVERNMENT. WE HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE IN
SEATTLE THAT THE VOTERS UP UP
AND PROVIDE FUNDING FOR THAT
CAP.
CAP.
CAP. FOR
CAP. FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE THE STATE
FUNDS, WE NEED AN EMPLOYED 63.
WE PROVIDE GREAT SPECIAL
EDUCATION SERVICES AND $60
MILLION OF THAT, THERE'S A GAP.
THAT COMES FROM STATE AND
FEDERAL.
FEDERAL.
FEDERAL. SO THE LOCAL HELPS US FILL THAT
HOLE.
HOLE.
HOLE. ONE
HOLE. ONE THING THAT I WILL SAY IS
THAT WHAT WE ARE PUSHING OUT,
THE RATE STAYS THE SAME AND THE
DOLLAR AMOUNT DECREASES OVER
TIME.
TIME.
TIME. THESE ARE THREE YEARS, FIVE
YEARS, SIX YEARS KIND OF LOVEYS
SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE
ARE ASKING FOR THE APPROPRIATE
AMOUNT SO THAT WE CONTINUE TO
PROVIDE THE SERVICES THAT
FAMILIES NEED THAT
>> SO TRICKY.
>> YOU HAVE BEEN IN SEATTLE
FIVE MONTHS.
FIVE MONTHS. WAS THERE A BIG SURPRISE THAT
YOU HAD SINCE TAKING THE JOB?
SOMETHING YOU THOUGHT MIGHT BE
THE CASE?
THE CASE?
THE CASE? >> WHAT I AM REALLY HEARTENED BY
IS THROUGHOUT MY TRAVELS,
PEOPLE WANT TO HAVE A GREAT
EDUCATION AND I HAVE LEARNED
THAT NOT I KNOW AREAS WE NEED
TO WORK ON BUT PEOPLE ALSO WANT
TO HAVE PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO BE
SUCCESSFUL.
SUCCESSFUL. THEY WANT US TO BE CREATING A
SYSTEM WHERE STUDENTS ARE
LEARNING AND WHERE THEY CAN
STEP INTO THEIR TEACHER --
FUTURE BEING READY FOR
COMMUNITY AND KURT -- AND FOR
CAREERS.
CAREERS.
CAREERS. WE HAVE SO MANY PARTNERS THAT
WANT TO BE IN THE SCHOOL
SYSTEM, HELPING US MAKE
STUDENTS SUCCESSFUL.
STUDENTS SUCCESSFUL. THAT HAS BEEN GREAT TO MEET
WITH THEM AND SEE HOW WE CAN
PUSH THIS DISTRICT FORWARD.
>>